


Follow Up

by AnnieVH



Series: Behind Closed Doors [34]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Phone Call, Rumbelle - Freeform, anti milah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-08
Updated: 2015-07-08
Packaged: 2018-04-08 07:21:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4295766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnieVH/pseuds/AnnieVH
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the incident, Belle and Rumple talk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Follow Up

**Author's Note:**

> VERSE information: Behind Closed Door, Rumbelle and Swanfire, contains abusive relationship, implied non-con situations, child-abuse, violence, infidelity, very anti-Milah.
> 
> Beta: MaddieBonanaFana

Belle was hoping it would be him on the other side of the phone because she had spent the last couple of hours trying to read, throwing her cellphone side glances and replaying Ruby’s words in her mind.

 _You are going to make everything worse_ , she kept telling herself every time the urge to dial his number felt too great to ignore.  _You’re going to make everything worse and then what are you going to tell Neal? Your mother smashed your father’s hand in what could actually have been an accident. The other hand is definitely on me though_.

That despicable woman. She probably screened his calls, or pried into his messages.

Belle had found Gaston doing that once, about two weeks after he officially labeled her as his girlfriend, and it drove her up the wall. What had angered her the most was that he didn’t even apologize and just demanded, in that entitled tone of voice he seemed to keep for special “Lets Make Belle Mad” occasions, “Where did you even meet so many guys?”

Belle had rationalized the whole thing like a stupid sixteen-year-old would: that he cared too much about her and he was jealous because he thought other guys might hit on her. That actually meant he found her pretty. As a teenager, it was so easy to mistake possessiveness with flattery. All it took were some compelling arguments, along the lines of “there should be no secrets between us” and “if you want me to trust you, you can’t hide things from me”. Instead of a break up, she settled for him begrudgingly agreeing to never do it again. Gaston always knew when to take a step back to make her feel that calling things off was an exaggeration. It was his worst quality. If he didn’t screw up so often, she might actually have stayed in Storybrooke with him, and maybe things would have escalated from there.

 _If he ever slammed a door on my hand though, daddy would kill him_ , she told herself, and that was no hyperbole. Moe had always liked Gaston for his chivalry and good family name. They were both old fashioned men who believed women should be secured and protected. If he proved himself to be a dangerous punk who thought he could hurt his little princess, well, he had another thing coming. Moe might have believed in old family values and a dozen other things that drove her and her mother crazy, but he made sure Belle knew her worth, and that there is a limit that honest men don’t cross.

Rumple had a father who hated him, those had been his exact words. And he met Milah when he was a stupid teenager, just like Belle. Was she as good as Gaston was at taking a step back right before all red flags were clear? If she was, she had clearly lost that ability. If she found a message in Rumple’s cellphone asking if his hand was any better, she wouldn’t waste time with subtlety, especially if she was already… what was that term Rumple used so often? Having a “difficult” day.

But Rumple was calling  _her_. Which could only mean Milah was okay with it, or, more likely, was out of ear’s range.

Belle looked around and, deeming the library too crowded for a personal phone call, hurried to the washroom and locked the door.

She answered the phone and neither of them spoke, not even to say hello. Belle wondered if he was questioning whether the call had been a wise decision. She sure was questioning if _answering_  had been a wise decision.

Then, on the other side of the line, Rumple sighed, “Hi.”

Belle leaned against the sink and smiled. “I was thinking about calling you. I didn’t want to bother you, though.”

“You never bother me.”

Honesty put a nice ring to his words, Belle had noticed. There was a softness that was quite pleasing to the ear.

“How’s your hand?” she asked.

“The good news is that I didn’t need stitches.”

“What are the bad news?”

“I have a small fracture.”

“Ouch.”

“Yes. Thank god I’m right handed, Whale forced me into a splint and now I’m supposed to refrain from using this hand and I’ve been advised not to drive for the next week. Not that I can do much with this thing on.”

“That will seriously hinder your social life.”

He pretended to gasp. “Oh,  _no_! Not my  _social life_!”

Belle laughed. “Do you want me to select a few books and have them delivered to your house?”

“You have a delivery man now?”

“I…” she hesitated. “I just don’t think I’ll be welcomed.”

“Ah,” he said. “That.”

“Is she…” Belle chose her words carefully. The last time she pried too much into his life, she got shunt out of it and that was the last thing she wanted now. “Is she angry?”

“She’s watching television, downstairs.”

“So… not angry?”

“She’s aggressively ignoring me. Which I think is for the best.”

“Good,” Belle agreed, not wanting to imagine what the worst case scenario looked like in his head. “Good. I’ll have your books ready. What would you like?”

“I actually didn’t call because of the books.”

It didn’t take Belle more than a second to understand and say, “I didn’t call Neal.”

After a moment, he said, “It’s not that either.”

Belle didn’t say a word.

“I mean, yes, I was going to ask that. But that’s not the main reason I called. I just wanted to thank you again. For helping me.”

“Who’s unnecessarily thanking the other now?”

“How the tables have turned,” he said, and Belle could imagine a crooked smile on his lips. Milah was downstairs, he said. He was probably in his bedroom, propped against a pile of pillows, his left hand wrapped in bandages. “It was good to have your support,” he continued. “And Dr. Whale’s. Milah is… she’s difficult sometimes.”

“Did something happen?”

He went quiet on the other side of the line and Belle braced herself for the usual excuse. “You know my wife, Miss French, she has this terrible temper.”

To her surprise, Rumple said, in a quiet voice that sounded so tired, “You know, most days I get it. I understand why she’s angry. At least I try to. But some days she’s just… she does things she doesn’t have to and I have no idea why.”

“That sounds exhausting.”

“Yes. It can be. I thought she was depressed. She had some symptoms. But I don’t think that’s it anymore.”

Belle waited to see if he wanted to get anything else out of his chest. When he didn’t, she said, “Rumple, you should call Neal.”

He didn’t answer.

“Rumple?”

“I don’t want him to worry.”

“He won’t mind, Rumple. He wants to know you’re okay. And maybe he can help.”

“Yes,” he said, but he sounded uncompromising. “Bae’s not always easy to talk to.”

 _But you are_ , was left unsaid. Or at least, that was what Belle thought, judging by the tone in his voice.

He continued, “I know he wants to help, but I don’t think he fully understands.”

“You love your wife,” Belle concluded.

“Yes. I don’t stop loving her because we’re having an off day.”

“You still should call him.”

“Because you will, if I don’t.”

“You know I have to.”

“I know.” He paused. “I just took a very powerful painkiller that is bound to knock me out cold as soon as I lie down. If I promise to call him as soon as I’m awake, will you give me 24 hours?”

“Do I have your word?”

“Yes.”

There it was. The soft sound of honesty.

“I’ll have your books ready by tomorrow morning.”

“Someone will stop by to pick them up.”

“Have a nice rest.”

“Will do.”

“And keep me updated, please,” she said, on the verge of begging. “I worry too.”

“I know you do, my dear. Thank you.”

With that, he was gone.

**Author's Note:**

> Picspam: http://annievh.tumblr.com/post/102166515522/behind-closed-doors-warnings-domestic-abuse


End file.
